The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1887-12-15

| IC UOOh OiO VI LIS
widest flights, bursting forth at the
same time into those ummelodious
but all-piercing passion shrieks unde,
which his hearers often confessed his
resistless power. Closer and closer
drew in the scattered groups. The
crowd becomes dense with eager lis.
teners as they press on insensibly to-
wards the preacher. He gradually
gets into the thickening plot Of his
simple but dramatic representation
while all, forgetful Of the spot on
which they stood, old men and wo-
men accustomed to prosy thoughts
and ways, look up with open mouths
through smiles and tears. Big hurley
country folk, in whom it might have
been thought the faculty of imagina.
ton had long sirce been 'extinguished
became engrossed with ideal scenes
The preachers present land they were
many) became Unexpectedly dazzled
with the brilliancy Of this new star
on the horizon, they start on their
feet around the young man, look
hard at him in perfect amazement:
loud and rapturous combinations
break forth from their lips, "Amen, y
''Bendigedig,'' (blessed), "Gogoniant, y
(glory) "Diolch byth" thanks for
ever), fall tumultuously upon the ear,
the chorus swells forward from the
platform to the extreme margin of
the crowd, and to the occasional loud
laugh there has now succeeded a
baptism of tears. The excitement is
at its highest, but the weeping and
rejoicing continue until worn out ma
ture brings the scene to an end"
The popular preachers that were to
follow him with their magnificent
sermons were not to be found. He
was known henceforth as the great
Christmas.
It is great blessing that every man
is not preacher, but it is a great
calamity if every preacher is not a
man. You cannot in this instance
separate the man from the true preach
er. The strong characteristics Of the
man appear in the preacher. His
nature had strong elements which
were not at all times under perfect
control, and indeed to keep them at
all times under perfect control would
be to put out the fire, and preacher
without fire in him is worse than an
iceberg. Christmas Evans was full
Of electricity. most Of which was used
in the pulpit to sublime purpose.
The soul-stirring truths that moves
him and the people photographed
themselves upon his wonderful
countenance. He was perfectly carried
away with his subject. Sometimes
he would laugh loud while preaching,
and his laugh was of the Leviathan
kind, and half his laugh would break
into fragments the faces of hund-
red pulpit dudes. He was at home at
Penuel, and he fingered so long in the
holy place until his countenance be-
came transagured. He could never
seperate himself from his work.
Sometimes he was discouraged, sad
and melancholy, and was at times
very severe with himself. The three
great preachers of this time in Wales
were Christmas Evans, John Elias
and Williams OF Wern. John Elias
was finished orator, an able theolo-
gian, and an extensive reader; Will
Jams was metaphysieian, a keen
reasoner, and captivating speaker.
Christmas Evans was an Independent
thinker, a born poet and fiery
preacher; Elias mind was fully
furnished; Evans was brilliantly
furnished. There was infinitely more
variety in Christmas Evans preaching
than in that of John Elias or of
Williams Of Wern. Williams could
hold his imagination under control,
but Christmas imagination carried
him along, and he carried his audience
with him. Elias is tame and COM
monplace in print, but even the ink
in Evans sermons is warm and the
words are winged. In my next [
shall dwell upon the voice, GESTURE,
language, etc, in Welsh preaching
T TPhiladelphia Pa.